Deliflor Chrysanten is an ornamental breeding company in Westland. It is one of the CropXR industrial partners. Recently, the company opened its doors to give a couple of CropXR colleagues a tour of their facilities. This proved to be insightful. Moreover, it strengthened the ties within the CropXR community.
About Deliflor
Deliflor Chrystanten is a world leading company in the field of ornamental breeding. It is the largest chrysanthemum breeder worldwide with branches in Africa, South America, and Japan. The company offers over 400 spray chrysanthemums, disbudded chrysanthemums and Santinis, another type of chrysanthemum. It produces cuttings and issues licences for cut flower production.
From the greenhouse to the vase
At Deliflor, it all starts with cuttings that arrive in boxes from Delifor’s Ethiopian, Kenian & Ugandan branches. First, the cuttings are unpacked. Subsequently, they are put in pots by top-notch robots and the agile hands of employers. They are then placed in the greenhouse. After rooting for 12 days, the cuttings are sold to growers. Some flowers are grown in the greenhouse to obtain the seeds. As an innovative breeder, Deliflor conducts research on chrysanthemum genetics to optimize their flowers. This can lead to, for instance, extending the time consumers can enjoy their flower in the vase.
Searching for thrips resistance
Within CropXR, Deliflor hopes to develop resilient varieties that can survive in the greenhouse, in particular those that are resistant to an insect called ‘thrips’. The CropXR community is eager to move forward to obtain this valuable knowledge.
